Secret of the Coopers
by eaglefan101
Summary: Sequel to Confession. Marakov is in jail. Carson is still on the run. Sly and Carmelita still have a wedding to plan. With all of this going on, one question still remains; What is hidden in the Cooper Vault? But some questions are best left unanswered.
1. Chapter 1: Unanswered Questions

**NOTE: MAKE SURE YOU READ MY OTHER FIC "CONFESSION" BEFORE YOU READ THIS ONE!  
****OTHERWISE YOU WILL HAVE NO IDEA WHAT'S GOING ON!**

_Well, here it is! The sequel to Confession! I am SO sorry for how long it took for me to get this out there. I promise I won't be so late again._

_I'd like to thank everyone who read Confession. Especially those of you who reviewed it. I didn't really expect to get such a good reaction from the story, seeing as how it was my first fanfic. I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of positive reviews I got for the story. For all of you who read the story, you freaking rock! :D_

_Now, about how this story came about. Way back when I was writing the first chapter of Confession, I thought of how I wanted the story to go. I had a general idea for the whole story laid out. Around the third chapter, I came up with a story for a sequel. I would have to change the original story of Confession around a little bit, but it would all be for the better. And that's exactly what I did. I changed a few minor things in the original story so it would set the stage for a sequel. The main thing I changed was Marakov's intentions. Originally, he was just going to be in it for the money. As I thought more and more about it, I realized that I could do much better than that. I intentionally finished Confession without clearing a few things up. For example, how did Marakov know about the Cooper Vault? What happened to Carson? What is he planning? And, most importantly, what is inside the Cooper Vault that Marakov is after? Everything will be answered by the end of this fic! I promise!_

_And now, without further ado, I present to you Secret of the Coopers._

--

**Chapter 1: Unanswered Questions**

The room was small. There was nothing but a table and a few chairs. A bright light was shining down onto the table. Across from the table was a window, where a few officers stood looking in, occasionally saying something to one another. Marakov gave them all a dirty look. Why were they just staring at him? They had no reason to be there. Marakov tapped his finger repeatedly on the table. He was beginning to grow impatient. He had been held in the interrogation room for hours, and no one had come in yet.

What did he do wrong? Marakov thought about his mistakes. How could he have been beaten down by the woman? He should have killed her when he had the chance. However, now that he thought about it, she shouldn't have shown up at all. He figured that she must have followed the assassin to their hideout. It was a stupid idea to attempt to assassinate the woman before they had the cane. He made a mental note to take care of the assassin if he ever got out of this hellhole.

Marakov saw a few more officers enter the view of the window. One of them was a woman. She was a red furred fox, with dark blue hair. Marakov looked away in anger. It was her. The one who had busted him. He watched as she talked to a few of the officers and opened the door to the interrogation room. He avoided her gaze as she walked up to the table and set down a few files. She sat down in the chair across from him.

"You have quite a record here Mr. Marakov," Carmelita told him as she looked through the files. "Illegal arms dealing, murder, kidnapping, attempted murder of two Interpol officers, the list goes on." Marakov said nothing. What could he say? "This is more than enough to put you away for the rest of your life. You have anything to say to that?" Marakov thought for a moment. He smiled.

"If you're looking for remorse, you're talking to the wrong person." Carmelita sighed.

"I have some questions for you," she told him.

"But of course."

"Where is your partner? Carson? Why wasn't he in the warehouse?"

"He was a coward," he said in disgust. "Once he heard the alarms, he ran to find out who it was. He saw you on camera breaking Cooper out. He ran, fearing that he would get arrested."

"And you call him a coward for that?" Carmelita asked. "I'd call him smart. After all, you were arrested, were you not?" Marakov had no reply. "Where might he be now?"

"I don't know, nor do I care."

"He has no other safe houses?"

"Not that I know of." Carmelita gathered her thoughts before she asked her next question.

"Why were you so desperate to get Sly's cane?" Marakov smiled at her again.

"For the money of course."

"Don't play that with me," Carmelita said angrily. "I already know you were after something else in the Cooper Vault." Marakov shrugged.

"Meh, it was worth a try."

"What is in the Cooper Vault that you're so desperate for?" Marakov chuckled.

"Sorry, but I'm not telling you."

"And why is that?" Carmelita demanded.

"Because it's something that Sly needs to find out on his own."

"And why can't you just tell me?"

"You know of Cooper's past," he explained. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you. Not only that, but I'm sure that as soon as I told you, you would take whatever I was after and destroy it. That would ruin my chance at getting it."

"You're chance at getting whatever you were after ended when you were cuffed." Marakov smirked.

"That's what you think Mrs. Fox."

"What does Cooper's past have to do with this?"

"The Cooper Clan has a dirty little secret," Marakov answered.

"What do you mean?"

"Many years ago, when the first Cooper thief was still running around, he was betrayed by his partner in crime."

"Who was it?"

"I'm afraid I can't tell you that." Carmelita sighed in frustration.

"What does that have to do with the Cooper Vault?"

"Again, that's just something you and Sly will have to find out for yourself."

Carmelita frowned. He wasn't going to say anything more. She got up and left the interrogation room, frustrated. Sly was going to be disappointed. If they really wanted to know what was hidden in the Cooper Vault, they would have to find out for themselves. That couldn't happen until Sly was completely healed.

-

"Hey! Wake up!"

Sly's eyes snapped wide open. He was greeted by the sight of Bentley, sitting in his wheelchair next to the bed. He slowly tried to sit up, only to find that it was too painful to do so. He lay back down onto the bed and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes.

"What time is it?" he asked.

"It's almost two," Bentley answered. Sly yawned. He looked around the room.

"Where's Murray and Penelope?"

"They went out to get some food." Sly, despite the pain, sat up in his bed. He sat over the edge, wincing in pain. He looked at the bandage on his arm. The blood had seeped through a bit.

"I need to change these bandages," he said. He got out of bed and stood up. He was pleased to find that it wasn't too painful to walk. Bentley rummaged around his bag for more bandages. Sly walked over to the kitchen area and sat down at the table. "Any idea when it will be safe to go back to the safe house? Or my apartment?"

"Tough to say," Bentley said. "I think we should wait at least one more day before we go back. We don't know where Carson is, or what he's planning." Sly nodded his head. He figured as much. Suddenly, his cell phone went off. He looked at the caller ID to find that it was Carmelita. He answered the phone.

"Hey, what's up?" he said.

_"I finished interrogating Marakov,"_ she answered. _"I couldn't get much out of him."_

"What did he say?"

_"Well, apparently he doesn't know where Carson would be. If he does know, he isn't going to tell me."_

"And what about the Cooper Vault?" Carmelita paused for a second.

_"He said that whatever is hidden in the vault has to do with your past."_

"My past?" Sly thought about what that might be. He couldn't think of anything.

_"Sly, do you know anything about your first thieving ancestor being betrayed?" _

"No," Sly said in confusion. "What would that have to do with the vault?"

_"He didn't say." _Sly sighed. He had hoped for too much.

"Well, I guess I should have expected this," he said. "What time do you think you'll be home?"

_"Around five. I still have a lot of paperwork to go through."_

"Okay, I'll see you then. Love you."

_"I love you too. Bye."_

The call ended. Sly put the phone down, disappointed. He looked over to Bentley.

"All we know is that whatever is in the Vault has to do with my past. Or maybe my family's past."

"Your family's past?" Bentley questioned.

"Something about Slytankhamen II being betrayed. You wouldn't happen to know anything about it would you?"

"No, sorry."

"Damn." Sly wondered what his past had to do with the Cooper Vault. And what about Slytankhamen? There was no mention of betrayal in the Thievious Racoonus. Maybe Marakov was just trying to throw them off. The only way they would be able to figure all of this out would be to go to the Cooper Vault and look around. Unfortunately, that was not going to happen while Sly was in this condition. All they could do right now was wait.

--

_Okay. First chapter. Finally finished. A bit short though. Big apologies for it being so damned late. Real life sucks sometimes y'know?_

_So, whatever is hidden in the Cooper Vault has to do with his past. What could it be? And what does a betrayal in the Cooper Clan have to do with it? You'll just have to wait to find out!_

_I'd appreciate it if you guys send me some reviews. I got such a positive response from my last story, and I'd like to know how I'm going with this one. :)_

_Until next chapter folks!_

_-eaglefan101_


	2. Chapter 2: Laura

**ATTENTION EVERYONE: PLEASE KEEP ALL THEORYS OUT OF THE REVIEWS!  
****IF YOU WISH TO TELL ME YOUR THEORY DO SO IN A PM OR EMAIL!**

_No EJ Amber, I'm not talking about you. :P You were just the one to bring this to my attention. I don't want the story spoiled before it's even written!_

_I changed the summary a bit too. Yep._

_Okay, so. Second chapter. Here we go!_

--

**Chapter 2: Laura**

It only took a week for Sly to completely heal from his encounter with Marakov and Carson. He was thankful that it didn't take any longer, as he couldn't stand doing nothing all day everyday. He found it hard to find ways to pass the time. He tried watching TV, but he got bored with it fairly quickly. The only thing he could look forward was Carmelita coming home every night. During that week, Bentley had decided to return to the safe house. Sly decided to follow suit and went back to his apartment. He decided to keep his cane with him at his apartment, as it would probably be safer there. Carson hadn't shown up since the night he escaped the warehouse, but Sly wasn't about to take any chances. He made sure to keep his cane hidden in his house, just in case. He also kept all of the doors and windows locked during the night, at Carmelita's request. Marakov was kept in a jail cell within Interpol HQ. There were guards posted at his cell 24/7, to make sure he wouldn't try to escape.

For once, Sly and Carmelita tried not to think about anything concerning Marakov or the Cooper Vault. The only thing on their mind was to arrest Carson, which was the new case they had been assigned by the Chief. Unfortunately, there were no leads to his whereabouts. How the hell were they supposed to find someone with almost no information? They tried interrogating Marakov again. However, if he knew where Carson was, he wasn't going to tell them. After a third interrogation, they went home, frustrated. They both sat down on the couch.

"Y'know," Sly said, "I think he probably left the country."

"Carson?" Carmelita asked.

"Yeah. He's currently our most wanted suspect right now, and he most likely knows this. I think he'd figure that it'd be safest to just get as far away from Paris as possible."

"How would he get out of the country without anyone knowing?" Sly grinned at her.

"It's not as hard as you think it is. I ran from the law for years, and I know how someone goes about fleeing the country. It's very possible to buy plane tickets without being recognized."

"Yeah, I guess. Still, it's amazing that no one recognized you whenever you went somewhere."

"Hey, with the right disguise, you can slip right by anyone without being recognized. Even if you're standing right next to your wanted poster."

"That's a little hard to believe," Carmelita said.

"Is it? Think back to when the gang and I were after the Clockwerk parts."

"Okay, but where are you going with this?"

"Remember the dance at Rajan's party?" Carmelita smiled.

"How could I forget? The night that nearly cost me my job."

"Back then, you knew me better than anyone else, besides the gang. You chased me for years, and knew very much what I look like. And yet, when I put on my disguise to get into the party, you had no idea who I was. Even while I was dancing with you, which by the way was probably the highlight of the night." Carmelita blushed.

"That's a lie."

"No, it's not. Even before we pulled off that heist, the one thing I looked forward to the most was dancing with you."

"Aww, ringtail." She playfully punched him in the shoulder. Sly chuckled. For a moment, Sly thought back to his old days as a thief. They were good times, but they were over now. Of course, Sly had no problem with this. If being a thief meant that he had to give up Carmelita, then he wasn't about to jump back into a life of crime.

"Sly?" Carmelita asked suddenly.

"Yeah?

"When did you first love me?" Sly looked away to think. He knew that he loved her before the Cooper Vault job, but when did he first fall in love with her? He never really thought about it before. It was definitely sometime before he learned of the Cooper Vault, but he couldn't really figure out when.

"I don't mean to put you on the spot or anything," Carmelita said, "I'm just curious." Sly sighed.

"Well... I..." He stopped short. He didn't really know what to say. After another moment of thinking, he found his answer. "Do you remember when we first met?" he asked. Carmelita was surprised by the sudden question.

"Yeah. I was just a low ranking officer back then. You managed to steal a painting from a museum under my watch." Sly nodded.

_Author's note: Yes, I am aware that there is an official Sly Cooper comic out there that shows how Sly and Carmelita meet, but I have not read it._

"Yep. I was just about to make my exit when you came up behind me with your gun."

"And you tried to sweet talk your way out of trouble. And it worked." Sly chuckled.

"There was just something about you that night that really caught my attention. Of course, I could tell you were beautiful," Carmelita blushed slightly. "Besides that though, I couldn't figure out what it was about you that really stood out. I couldn't really get you out of my head after I got out of there."

"Almost every heist I went on after that, there you were. Chasing after me. And I loved every second of it. You were the only cop who was able to keep up with me. You kept me on my toes, and helped me improve my skills as a thief, unintentionally of course," Sly added, noticing the look on her face. "It wasn't long before I started to look forward to all my heists. Not because of the heist itself, but because I knew there was a good chance you would be there. You became part of what made thieving so much fun for me."

"You really mean that?" Carmelita said, with a smile on her face.

"Of course. I don't know when I first fell in love with you, but you were always someone special to me, from the day we first met." Carmelita suddenly leaned in and kissed him passionately. Sly nearly fell over on the couch.

"You know," Carmelita said after the kiss broke, "I still need to tell my parents about the wedding." Sly's face fell.

"Great," he said with a hint of sarcasm.

"Oh come on, it won't be that bad."

"I hope not. When are we visiting them?"

"Probably sometime this week. In fact, I should probably call my sister and let her know first. Once we have her on our side, I'm sure mom and dad will lighten up." She reached into her pocket and grabbed her cell phone. She dialed a number and pressed send. She waited for the other line to pick up.

_"Hello?"_ came a female latin voice from the other line.

"Hey Laura! It's me Carmelita!" Carmelita answered.

_"Oh wow,"_ Laura said. _"Hey Carm! Haven't talked to you in a while! What's up?"_

"Are you up for visiting mom and dad sometime this week?"

_"Sure, but why?"_ Carmelita hesitated for a moment.

"You have to promise not to tell them until we visit them."

_"Okay, fine. Now what's going on?"_

"Well, I'm getting married." Carmelita pulled the phone away from her ear as a loud scream came from the speaker of the phone. She brought the phone back to her face. "I'm guessing you're happy for me?"

_"Took you long enough! My little sis is finally getting married!"_

"Oh leave me alone!"

_"So who's the lucky man? What's his name?"_

"Well," Carmelita looked over at Sly, who nodded at her. "Promise me you won't get upset."

_"Why would I? Is it like, one of my ex-boyfriends or something?"_

"Erm, not exactly. Well, his name is... Sly Cooper." The other line grew silent. For a few seconds, no one said anything. Carmelita wondered if the call dropped. "You still there?"

_"Sly Cooper? The same Sly Cooper you chased after for so many years? The thief? That Sly Cooper?"_

"Well, yes."

_"How in the world did that happen?"_

"Well, it's a long story, but he's an inspector at Interpol now. He's really sweet."

_"And how do you plan on telling mom and dad this?"_

"Well, that's kind of why I called you..."

_"Ah, I get it,"_ Laura interrupted. _"You want me to vouch for you. Is that it?"_

"Would you?" Carmelita asked.

_"Only if you let me talk to him_." Carmelita handed the phone to Sly.

"She wants to talk to you." Sly took the phone from Carmelita. He was nervous about what her sister would say.

"Hello?" he said into the phone.

_"So, is it true?"_ Laura asked. _"Are you really Sly Cooper?"_

"Yes."

_"And are you really marrying my sister?"_

"Well, yes." Laura paused for a second.

_"I trust you've been treating her well?"_ Sly smiled.

"Of course."

_"So tell me. How were you able to get her to set aside her black and white views about criminals and get her to be with you?"_

"Oh, it's a long and interesting story. We'll tell you when we see you."

_"I'm guessing that the faked amnesia had something to do with it?"_

"Huh?" Sly said, surprised. "How did you know about that?"

_"It was on the news here in Spain. Paris isn't the only place that you're famous in." _Sly chuckled.

"I guess not. Erm, do your parents know about that too?"

_"I'd imagine so. Not nervous about meeting them are you?"_ she teased.

"Well let's see. I used to be an infamous master thief for almost my whole life, and I'm going to meet two high ranking police officers, who are my future in-laws. Nope! Not nervous at all!" Laura laughed.

_"So have you really given up thieving for good?"_

"Well, if I go back to being a thief, that means I lose Carmelita. So, yes. I have."

_"Well that's good. Put Carmelita back on please." He handed the phone back to Carmelita._

"Well?" she asked.

_"I didn't believe you at first," _Laura said,_ "but you're not kidding. You really are marrying Sly Cooper."_

"When have I ever lied to you?"

_"Do you really want me to answer that? We could be talking all night."_

"Oh stop it. So will you help me get him on mom and dad's good side?"

_"Yes, but you'll owe me one."_

"You're a life saver."

_"Don't I know it. I'll see you sometime this week then, yes?"_

"Yeah. I'll let you know when."

_"Okay. See ya soon sis."_

"Bye." Carmelita snapped the phone shut.

"So, what do you think your parents will say when you tell them?" Sly asked.

"I don't know. I'm sure they aren't going to be too happy at first, but hopefully we'll be able to soften them up." Sly shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"So, when are we visiting them anyways?"

"Probably this weekend." Sly sighed. It was Wednesday. Why so soon? "Don't worry, you'll be fine," Carmelita reassured him.

"I hope so."

--

_GAH! I had the worst writer's block while trying to write the end of that chapter. I dunno if I like how it ended. Oh well._

_Yeah, I know. Not much happened in this chapter. But, it was necessary so you guys knew what was going on. That, and I felt that I wasn't writing about Sly and Carmelita enough. :3_

_Until next chapter folks!_

_-eaglefan101_


	3. Chapter 3: Meeting the InLaws

_Okay, a couple of things._

_First off, I can not apologize enough for how late this chapter was. I can't really make it up to you all, but I will explain why it's so damned late. Though, some of you probably know already, if you checked my profile at least once since last Thursday._

_For those of you who DON'T know, here's the deal. I broke my arm last Thursday (10/22). Specifically my left. How? Well, I think enough time has passed, so I think I'll tell you now. You see, one day after school, my friend pulled up near me and stopped. I ran over and jumped onto the hood of his car._

_You can see where this is going._

_Anyways, I look directly at him, and I say one word; "Drive."_

_And drive he did._

_Until he hit the brakes a bit too hard._

_Now, if you paid attention in your science classes, you should have an idea of what happened. I, of course, went flying, and in panic, threw out my hand towards the ground so I wouldn't smash my head on solid concrete. I broke both the ulna and the radius, right under the joint in my wrist._

_Not the smartest thing I've ever done, but certainly not the dumbest._

_I'm in a cast for five weeks, and then I get a flexible brace. Hopefully I'll be able to type with two hands by then. Once that happens, I'll go back to typing like a hyperactive kid on crack. But, for now, my typing is extremely slow, due to the fact that I'm doing it with one hand._

_And now for the other bit of news, and this time it's good news!_

_I have appointed Ultima the God as an editor for this story. I felt I needed one due to my broken arm. Typing with one hand makes it easier to make typos. I felt that getting an editor for the story would help cut down on the many mistakes I'm sure I will make over the next five weeks._

_Well, enough with the stories of my stupid decisions. On with the story._

------------

**Chapter 3: Meeting the In-Laws**

For Sly, the weekend came far too quickly. He couldn't help but show his real feelings towards meeting Carmelita's parents. He was obviously nervous about this, but he was also worried about how they would react towards Carmelita. What would they say to her? He was sure that they wouldn't be too pleased, but what would they do? What could they do? He hoped that they weren't the type to lose their anger easily. He followed Carmelita out the door of their apartment and to her car, carrying a few bags along the way.

"You know," Sly said, "you never told me what your parents are like. Are they going to be angry with me or anything?"

"Well," Carmelita said, "I don't think you'll have any problems with my mom. I'm more worried about my dad."

"Why?"

"I inherited my black and white views from him. He just hasn't broken out of that yet, like I have."

"Well, he didn't fall in love with a thief, did he?" Sly said with a smirk. Carmelita chuckled.

"I told you, everyone but my sister is in law enforcement."

"Ah. Where does your sister live anyways?"

"Barcelona, and my parents live in Madrid." Sly sighed in dismay.

"And we're driving? That's one hell of a long drive Carmelita."

"Well, we're meeting Laura at a hotel in Madrid. We're not going to Barcelona."

"Still a long drive." Carmelita rolled her eyes.

"Oh stop complaining. I'm sure you've been in that van with your gang for much longer." Sly smiled.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Well, let's go." They got into the car and drove off.

-

Sly looked out his window as Carmelita pulled into a large parking lot of a hotel. Immediately after parking, Sly stepped out of the car. His legs felt extremely weak. The twelve hour drive from Paris took quite a toll on him.

"Phew, that feels better," Sly said as he walked around the car, trying to get the feeling back in his legs.

"Come on," Carmelita said. "Let's get into the hotel and get a room. I dunno if Laura's here yet." They walked up to the large building. As they got closer, Carmelita noticed a familiar figure standing by the doors, waving over to them.

"Hey Carm!" the figure shouted. Carmelita suddenly broke into a run, dropping her bags, and hugging her big sister. Sly smiled at the scene and continued to walk over to them. He looked at Laura. Besides the fact that she was slightly taller, and her hair was a lighter shade of blue, Laura was the spitting image of her sister. She looked over to him and smirked.

"So, the infamous Sly Cooper," she said. "Never thought I'd ever meet you. Much less under these circumstances."

"And I never knew that Carmelita had a sister," Sly said. "Well, not until I joined Interpol. Pleasure to meet you." He bent over and kissed her hand. "I guess being beautiful runs in the family." Laura giggled.

"I wouldn't say that to my mom," Carmelita warned. "Unless, of course, you'd like a nice black eye courtesy of Carlos Fox."

"Hey, I'm a raccoon. My eyes can't be any blacker." Carmelita laughed.

"Well, he is charming. Handsome too. I approve," Laura said jokingly. Sly smiled.

"So nice of you. Shall we go inside?" He motioned towards the door. They nodded and walked into the main lobby.

-

_The Next Day_

As Carmelita pulled into the driveway of a large house, Sly took a deep breath. They were finally here. Sly still felt that this little visit wouldn't go well, but there was no turning back now. They were already here. Besides, Sly didn't think he would be able to stand the 12 hour drive back without at least meeting Carmelita's parents. Carmelita noticed the worry on Sly's face.

"Why don't you get the bags," Carmelita suggested. "Laura and I will go talk to them first." Sly nodded. He wasn't about to object. Carmelita and Laura got out of the car and headed for the door.

"What do you think they'll say?" Laura asked. Carmelita shrugged her shoulders. When they got to the door, Carmelita took a deep breath and rang the doorbell. A tall male fox opened the door.

"Carmelita! Laura! What a surprise!" He immediately walked up to them and gave them both a hug.

"Hey dad," Carmelita said. "Haven't seen you in a while."

"I know. Hey I heard that you were able to lock up that scum-bag Marakov. Congrats! How were you able to do that?"

"Erm," Carmelita hesitated. "It's a long story. I'll tell you later. Where's mom?"

"Right here," came a female voice. Mrs. Fox walked outside and gave her daughters a hug. "Why didn't you tell us you were coming to visit?"

"Well, we wanted it to be a surprise," Laura said. "You see, Carmelita has some good news!" Carmelita gave Laura a bit of a glare before turning back to face her parents.

"Oh? Did you finally get promoted to Captain?" Mr. Fox asked.

"Erm, no," Carmelita said. "I'm uhm... getting married."

A mixture of shock and happiness flowed through Mr. and Mrs. Fox. They had wide grins on their faces.

"Oh my... Congratulations!" Mr. Fox was ecstatic.

"Oh I'm so happy! Where is he? I'd like to..." Mrs. Fox stopped short as she saw a grey raccoon starting to walk up to the door. Her jaw dropped slightly at the sight of him. Was it...? No, it couldn't be! Sly walked up next to Carmelita with a nervous look on his face.

"Err, mom? Dad? This is Sly Cooper." Sly shook Mr. Fox's hand.

"Hello! Pleasure to meet you!" Sly tried his best to sound confident, but was not successful. He shook Mrs. Fox's hand as well. For a moment, nobody said anything. Carmelita's parents were trying to get over the shock of what just happened. Mrs. Fox was the first to say anything.

"Uh... pleasure to meet you!" she said with faked enthusiasm. She looked over to her husband to see his reaction. He was still visibly shocked. "So, erm, when did this happen?"

"A couple of weeks ago," Carmelita said. "Don't worry, we'll tell you the whole story." Mr. Fox sustained his silence.

"Well, I can't wait to hear it!" Mrs. Fox motioned everyone to come inside. "Come on in!" Everyone walked into the door. Mr. Fox headed straight for the kitchen and sat down at the table. Mrs. Fox led everyone into the living room. Sly, Carmelita, and Laura all sat down on the couch.

"Stay here for a moment," Mrs. Fox said. "I'll go get you all some drinks." She headed into the kitchen and shut the door. Sly exhaled loudly.

"Well, that went over well," he said sarcastically.

"Oh come on," Carmelita said. "It wasn't that bad. My mom seems to have no problem with you." Sly gave her a look that made her have second thoughts about what she had just said.

"Come on Carm," Laura said. "Think realistically. No offense Sly, but I'm sure that mom's just being polite."

"None taken," Sly said.

"I guarantee that those two are talking about Sly right now in the kitchen." Sly sighed at that. Carmelita nodded.

"Yeah, you're probably right."

-

"Unbelievable. My daughter is marrying a damned thief!"

"Carlos! Keep it down!"

As Mrs. Fox prepared drinks, Mr. Fox sat at the table with an angry look on his face talking to his wife. They never expected something like this to happen.

"What is she thinking Maria?!" Maria sighed.

"Look, I know. This is a bit of a shock, but I think you're overreacting a little."

"Overreacting?! You do know who we're talking about right?"

"Last time I checked, he wasn't a thief. In fact, I do believe he's an Inspector at Interpol with Carmelita. Come on Carlos, even you know that!"

"I don't trust him Maria. Once a thief, always a thief." Carlos crossed his arms.

"You're being ridiculous. His last crime was well over a year ago! Don't you think that's enough time for a man to change?"

"Whether or not he's changed, he's still a criminal."

"Carmelita doesn't seem to think so," Maria rebutted. Carlos opened his mouth to speak, but said nothing. "I'm going back out there to talk to them. If you don't want to join, fine. But don't judge a person when you don't know him."

"I've read his criminal record many times. I'd say I know him pretty well." Maria sighed and walked out. There was no convincing him. Carlos thought about following, but decided against it. The fact that a criminal was in the same house was bad enough. He'd rather not be in the same room with him.

_He's marrying my daughter. Oh Dios._

------------

_Chapter 3: Done._

_Yeah, I know. Maria and Carlos are pretty unoriginal names, but I'm pretty terrible at naming OCs._

_Blegh, I gotta stop being so late with these updates. I was never this late with my last fic. D:_

_Well, I've begun to get used to typing with one arm. I'm starting to get faster, so hopefully the chapters won't be spaced out too far apart. :)_

_Until next chapter folks!_

_-eaglefan101_

-

Editor's Notes: Greetings! Ultima the God, Eaglefan101's new editor, speaking! I'm fairly new around here on FanFiction, though it appears that I have ended up editing for an author of superb skill when it comes to proofreading their own story.

Huh, it appears that Carlos is pretty against Sly, well, I suppose anyone would be, since Sly WAS the world's most wanted thief, so Carlos have a reason to be suspicious of Sly. Hopefully, Carlos will see that Sly is trustworthy. Maria, though, seems to be ready to give Sly the benefit of a doubt. Well, we'll all see what happens by the next chapter, eh?

-Ultima out-


	4. Chapter 4: Serious Talk

Okay. That's it. I'm done making excuses for myself. I feel like an ass, making all of you wait so long for this chapter. Honestly, with the writer's block and procrastination, I just didn't feel very motivated to write this chapter. I don't know why. Every chapter I've written, I've had fun doing it. I'd always enjoy writing them, and I always felt I needed to write more. I loved writing Confession. I had such a great time. I just don't know what's been happening lately. But, I've decided that it's not fair to you guys. I started a story, and I've been ignoring it for quite some time.

Some of you might even think that I've abandoned it completely. Well, I haven't. I told myself when I started writing Confession that I would finish every fic I wrote. I don't want to become like one of those artists who write a great fic, and then abandon it mid-story. It disappoints me to read a great story, only to see that it's unfinished and it hasn't been updated for months. Especially when there's no explanation. I don't want that to happen to any of my fics, and I'm certainly not going to let that happen to this fic.

Big apologies are owed to all of you, but I don't feel that it's enough to say sorry. I mean, I've been doing that since the beginning of this fic, and I'm sick of it.

That said, here's chapter 4. I sure hope that some people are still reading this.

------------

Chapter 4: Serious Talk

For the next few days, everything in the Fox house seemed to be going well. Sly was still nervous about being in a house filled with police officers, but he eventually started to calm down. Unfortunately, there was one thing that kept Sly from feeling welcome; Carmelita's father barely said anything. When he did talk, it was either to Maria or Laura. He wasn't even talking to Carmelita! He didn't know what to do.

"I'm pretty sure your dad hates me," Sly said to Carmelita one night while getting ready for bed. Carmelita said nothing. She didn't want to say that he was right. She knew her father, and she knew that he didn't talk to people he didn't like. Why he wasn't talking to her though, she didn't know.

"Well, we'll find a way to soften him up. Mom seems just fine with you."

"How do you know she's not being polite?"

"She's my mom. I should know." Sly still seemed unsure.

-

The Next Day

Carmelita sat on the couch in the living room watching the news. What else was there to do? Sly and Laura went to go buy food, at her mother's request. It seemed odd that she wanted both Laura and Sly to go. Her dad was also away, doing who knows what.

"Carmelita?" Maria said. "Can you come here for a second?"

"Sure." Carmelita got up from the couch and headed into the kitchen with her mom. "What's up?"

"Sit down." Carmelita raised an eyebrow in confusion. She sat in a chair and waited for her mom to speak. There was a long pause before she said anything. Maria sighed.

"Okay. I guess I'll just get right into it. I assume that you expected this." Carmelita nodded. She knew exactly what this was about.

"Where's dad?" Carmelita asked.

"Out. I didn't want him to be here anyways. I'm not going to lie to you. He highly disapproves of what's going on." Carmelita lowered her head.

"I figured as much by the way he's been acting."

"Listen, I want the whole story. First off, how long have you and Sly been dating?" Carmelita thought for a second.

"Hmm, about two months after he supposedly got amnesia."

"Why so soon? And why Sly?"

"I..." Carmelita stopped short. She wasn't sure of what to say. Finally, Maria spoke.

"Carm, what was the real reason he faked amnesia?" Carmelita said nothing. "Something tells me he didn't just do it to join Interpol." Carmelita nodded.

"He did it... for me."

"He loved you?"

"Yeah. He wanted a chance to be with me, and he thought that the only way was to join Interpol."

"And he told you this?"

"He told me right after he told me the truth."

"Why didn't he just quit being a thief and tell you his real feelings?"

"I don't know. Maybe he was scared that I wouldn't listen."

"Did you love him before the amnesia?" Carmelita paused for a second. She knew the answer, but she never had admitted it to anyone. Well, except for Sly. "Carmelita?" She nodded.

"Yes." Maria nodded.

"Why didn't you tell us about this sooner?"

"I was afraid of how you and dad would react. Well, mainly dad. I guess I was right to be so, considering how dad's been acting."

"I've tried talking to him," Maria said, "but he won't budge."

"There's gotta be some way to turn him around. He won't even talk to me or Sly." Maria thought for a second. Suddenly, an idea popped into her head.

"What if we can force Sly and your father to talk? Maybe he can turn your father around." Carmelita shook her head.

"I don't want to do that to Sly. He's nervous enough just being in this house."

"It might be the only way. Do you really want your father to hate your fiancé's guts?" Carmelita thought about it. She hated to do something like that to Sly, but she knew her mother was right.

-

The TV was on in the living room, but no one was watching it, except for Carlos. He didn't want to have to converse with that thief, who was talking with Carmelita, Laura, and Maria. He didn't say a word. He concentrated on the TV, trying to block out the conversation that was taking place.

"So Sly," Maria said, "What was the real reason you quit being a thief and joined Interpol?" She already knew the answer, but she wanted to hear it from him.

"Well..." Sly was slightly embarrassed. "To be honest I just wanted a chance to be with Carmelita." Carlos nearly gagged. The fact that there was a thief in the house didn't bother Carlos as much as the knowledge that he was marrying his daughter. The conversation dragged on. Carlos was starting to get slightly annoyed.

"Well," Maria said. "I'm going to make dinner. Carm, Laura, could you help me?"

"Sure!" they both said simultaneously. They got up off the couch and followed Maria into the kitchen. Carlos started to get up.

"I'll help too," he said.

"No, that's okay. Stay here." Maria went into the kitchen, followed by Carmelita and Laura. They had a small smile on their face. Carlos sat back down. He took a quick look at Sly, but turned away as he saw Sly staring back at him. He concentrated on the TV once more. There was a long silence between Sly and Carlos. Sly was the first to break it.

"Um... you're house is really nice." He didn't know what else to say. He wanted desperately to end the awkward silence. Carlos merely nodded his head, not even glancing towards Sly. Sly sighed.

"Okay, look. I know that something's been bugging you ever since I came here. You've barely said anything since I first met you. I don't want any grudges, so please. If you have something to say, just let it out." Carlos turned his head towards Sly, who looked quite sincere. He gathered his thoughts before speaking.

"Don't act like you don't know. I've held out for Carmelita's sake, but now that she's not here..." He paused. "I've been a cop for nearly all my life. I've busted tons of criminals, only to bust them again as soon as they get out of jail."

"What's your point?" Sly asked.

"My point is, I don't trust you, and I don't like the fact that you're marrying my daughter." Sly nodded.

"I can understand where you're coming from, but I haven't stolen anything in well over a year. I'm done with that."

"And why should I believe that?" Carlos asked, almost in an angry tone.

"Because if I go back to being a thief, that means Carmelita will leave me, and I don't want that to happen."

"In that case, you should go back to being a thief." Sly started to grow angry.

"You're even more black and white than Carmelita ever was."

"And what the hell is that supposed to mean?" Carlos said, in a dangerous tone.

"You hate me, based only on the fact that I used to be a criminal. I assume you never really took into the fact that I only stole from other criminals."

"Ha! Funny! And what about all those museums and banks? Remember Cairo?"

"First off, they never should have collected the Clockwerk parts from the Krakarov Volcano in the first place. It was too dangerous to put on display. It only caused problems. Don't you remember why the Klaww gang stole them in the first place?" Carlos said nothing. "And, yes. I stole from more than just criminals, but I never did it for profit. I did it for the thrill. Everything I stole I would give back. I'd always leave whatever I stole on Carmelita's desk."

"You don't understand the trouble you caused. It was also you who nearly got Carmelita thrown in jail!" Carlos's voice started to grow louder.

"You forget that the ones who framed her, Neyla and the Contessa, were just corrupt cops. They were part of the Klaww gang too! They just needed to get me and her out of the way!"

"It doesn't matter! You're a criminal! I can't believe that instead of arresting you, Interpol actually hired you!"

"People change Mr. Fox. Chief Barkley was able to understand that. If you can't understand it as well, then there's nothing I can do to get you to trust me." With that, Sly got up from the couch and headed towards the kitchen. Suddenly, Sly turned around. "I'm marrying your daughter Mr. Fox. Please understand that. If not for me, then do it for your daughter." He headed into the kitchen, leaving Carlos to think about what he had said.

-

"We've got the van running in the back of the building."

"Good. Get ready for a fast escape."

"Yes sir."

A figure stood outside of a jail in the middle of Paris. He shut his cell phone and put it in his pocket. He had a black mask on and a backpack. He pulled out blueprints for the building he was staring at. He was in back of the building. He looked up at the building after studying the blueprints some more. He needed to plant them on the left corner of the building. He silently ran over to that spot, and kneeled down next to the wall. He pulled out a strange device from his backpack and planted it on the wall.

"Ten seconds should do it," the figure whispered to himself. He pressed a few buttons, and a ten second timer appeared. He jumped up to his feet and ran away from the building. Ten seconds passed by.

BOOM!

After the dust and debris cleared, the figure looked over to where the bomb exploded. There was a large hole in the concrete wall, revealing a white tiger.

"Move it! We need to get out of here now!" the figure shouted to him. Alarms sounded throughout the building. The figure and the tiger ran for it. They reached the rendezvous point and jumped into the back of the van. The van sped off just as the police started to catch up.

------------

FINALLY!

I'm so sorry for how late this is. It's also a short chapter. Blargh. I don't even like how it turned out. Oh well. We're finally starting to see some action! :D

I'll write the next chapter as soon as I can! No more procrastinating! I promise! For real this time!

By the way, I got my cast off finally. Yay! Typing is so much easier now. I'm in a brace, which I can take off whenever I want. :D

Until next chapter folks!

-eaglefan101

Greetings everyone, this is Ultima speaking, I'm certain you're as glad as I am to see another chapter of this story come out. I find editing this story to be quite simple due to the author's ability at correcting his own mistakes. It seems as though that Sly and Carlos are still not getting along, and Carlos still seems to believe that Sly isn't just another thief and that he cannot change. Well, I do hope he realizes his mistake soon though, for there may be trouble in paradise in the not so distant future. As always people, please read and review.

-Ultima, out-


	5. Chapter 5: Return to Kaine Island

_Y'know, it's almost become a routine with me. I post a chapter, wait a few weeks, and then I post another one apologizing with how late this one was. I said I'd stop procrastinating last chapter, but apparently that was not the case. But it wasn't all procrastination._

_So, what happened? Well, first school hit me HARD. I'm really cracking down when it comes to school, because I REALLY need to get into Ramapo. Sorry guys, school comes before fanfics. That took up a lot of my time. Then, work happened. Since I came back to work, they've been scheduling me to work a LOT. I'm not complaining though, I need money. So that gives me a few hours a day to get stuff done. But then, OH NO! Guitar Hero World Tour happened, and I'm completely addicted. It's like crack in the form of a video game. Oh yes it is. Especially the music studio. I'll tell you this right now; amazing program. And then, Mountain Creek opened. Oh yes. First time I snowboarded this year and I already busted my ass on a rail. Ouch._

_I am so SICK of not getting anything done, so I cracked down on myself. Another thing that has been happening is, *GASP* writer's block. Honestly, I'm sure that this will be the last chapter where I am struck with it. At least, until the last two chapters. I know EXACTLY what I'm going to write for chapters 6 and on._

_Anyways, after much wait, here is chapter 5. And it's a LONG one. Hopefully that will make up for my lateness._

------------

**Chapter 5: Return to Kaine Island**

Sly noticed something different about Carmelita's father that night at dinner. He didn't seem as angry as before. Now, he seemed confused. He figured that was to be expected. He was just glad that it wasn't as awkward as he thought it would be. He still wasn't taking part in any conversations that were going on at the dinner table. Not surprising though, considering what they were talking about.

Maria and Laura had many questions for the ex-thief. Mainly how he was able to keep from getting arrested while pulling off all of his heists. He talked about past jobs he and his gang went on, how they pulled them, and how they were able to get away. He went into extra detail when he talked about when he met Carmelita during one of his earlier heists.

Suddenly, Sly felt his cell phone go off in his pocket. He took it out and looked at the caller ID. It was the chief.

"Excuse me, I gotta take this." He got up from the dinner table and went out into the living room. He opened his phone. "Hey chief, what's up?"

_"Sly, I need you and Carmelita back here right away!" _He sounded frantic.

"What's wrong?" Sly asked.

_"Someone bombed the outside of the jail cell that Marakov was in! He's gone!" _Sly's jaw dropped.

"Oh crap. Was it Carson?"

_"We're not sure, but we assume it was. We weren't able to catch them before they took off. Marakov was your case, and I'm sure that you would want to be informed, considering what he's after."_

"Damn it! The cane!" Sly cursed himself for not leaving the cane with Bentley. He should have known better.

_"Exactly."_

"Don't worry chief, we'll be down as soon as possible."

_"I'll see you at the station_." With that, the call ended. Sly became worried. This wasn't good. Chances were that Marakov already had the cane, and was already on his way to Kaine Island. One thing was certain; he and Carmelita had to leave immediately. He walked back into the kitchen.

"Carmelita, can you come here for a sec?" Carmelita looked at her family with a confused look and headed into the living room.

"What's wrong?" Carmelita asked.

"Marakov escaped. Someone bombed the outside of his cell." Carmelita was shocked.

"Shit."

"Chief needs us back at the station as soon as possible. We need to leave right now."

"What about your cane?"

"I'd wager that it's already gone, but... I'll call Bentley when we get on the road." They walked back into the kitchen to face Carmelita's family.

"We need to leave," she said.

"What's wrong?" Laura asked. Sly looked at her.

"One of our criminals escaped jail," Sly explained. "And, well, it's a long story, but we have to get back right now." Mrs. Fox nodded.

"I understand. Thanks for coming you two."

"Thanks for the hospitality," Sly said. They all exchanged handshakes and hugs (save for Mr. Fox, who was still lost in his thoughts), and Sly and Carmelita headed for the door. As they got outside, Sly sighed.

"Well, I tried, but I don't think I got on your dad's good side." Carmelita nodded.

"He'll come around." Sly still seemed unsure. As they got to the car, Sly heard his named being called.

"Sly!"

He turned around to see Mr. Fox running out towards the car. He stopped in front of Sly. There was a short awkward silence.

"Er... listen. I wanted to apologize for the way I acted," he said. Sly took a quick glance at Carmelita, who nodded at him.

"No, it's okay. I don't blame you for not trusting me. It's understandable. I was a master thief after all." Mr. Fox nodded.

"I don't think it was fair to not even give you a chance. Think we can start over?" He held out his hand to Sly. Sly smiled and shook it.

"Hopefully we'll see you again sometime," he said.

"Yeah. See you two later." Mr. Fox headed back into the house. Carmelita looked at Sly with a smug look on her face.

"Told ya."

-

For the past 12 hours, Sly constantly tried calling Bentley on his cell phone numerous times. Every time, it went straight to voice mail.

"Damn it, I still can't get a hold of Bentley. His phone's still off. Why didn't I bring my Binoc-u-com?" He shut the phone and shoved it into his pocket.

"We're almost here. Right after this we can head over to the apartment."

"Right."

Carmelita parked the car and they got out. They headed into the building and straight towards Chief Barkley's office. They knocked on the door.

"Come in." They did so. Chief Barkley looked straight at them.

"Okay. The cell was bombed around 7 PM last night. We're sure that it was Carson, but we have no evidence to prove it."

"What do we have to work with?" Carmelita asked.

"Only the information you have on him. His connections, his hideouts which are no doubt abandoned now, and most importantly, his motives." Sly's phone suddenly went off in his pocket. He checked the caller ID and saw that it was Bentley.

"Finally!" he exclaimed. Carmelita looked over to him.

"What's up?"

"Hang on, I'll be right back." He headed outside of the office to take the call.

"Bentley. Thank God. What happened?"

_"I'm sorry. I didn't know you were trying to call."_

"I assume you got my voicemail."

_"Yes. I just checked the apartment and... well..."_

"The cane is gone, isn't it?"

_"Well, the apartment door was open, and well, there were signs of a break in..."_

"It's gone, isn't it?!" Sly repeated.

_"Yeah, it's gone."_

"Son of a bitch!"

_"We need to get over to Kaine Island immediately! Chances are he's already there."_

"Well, when do you think he took it?"

_"I assume that he went back to one of his old hideouts for a while to ditch the cops when he broke out. He probably didn't head out to the apartment until much later."_

"Do you think we still have a chance at getting there before they do?"

_"Well, maybe. I don't think they would have had access to a helicopter or something similar, so they probably took a boat. If we leave right now by helicopter, we might be able to make it."_

"How are we going to get access to a helicopter?"

_"Come on Sly! Even you know that Interpol most likely has one you could use!"_

"How the hell am I going to get permission to do that? More important, how am I going to be able to get you to come with us without them finding out?"

_"There might not be a choice but for them to know that we're going with you. I'm certain that they wouldn't just give you a helicopter. They'll probably send in a few other officers to go along with you."_

"Are you sure you want to do that? It could mean jail time for you."

_"I'm willing to risk it."_

Sly didn't know what to do. He didn't want to risk jail time for his friends, but he couldn't let Marakov and Carson get a hold of whatever they were after.

"Okay. It's your choice. I gotta go. I'll call you before we leave."

_"Right. See ya soon."_

Sly walked back into the Chief's office.

"The cane is gone," he told them.

"Who was that on the phone?" Chief asked, suspiciously. Sly hesitated. He remembered what Bentley had said. He was willing to risk jail time. He figured that the Chief might be lenient on them.

"Sly, was that one of your old gang members?" the Chief asked. Sly nodded.

"Yes. Listen Chief, I know that they're still criminals in your eyes, but I need their help with this. I know exactly where Marakov and Carson are, but I just can't pull a job off like this without them. Please, let them go just this once. After this is over with, you can decide what to do. Bentley told me he was willing to risk jail time to help me out."

The Cheif thought about it. He knew the history of the Cooper Gang almost as well as Carmelita. He knew of their nature, and he knew that they were a big help to Interpol regarding some of the more dangerous criminals, now in jail.

"Okay Sly. They can go with you." Sly nodded.

"Thank you Chief. Now I know it might be a little too much to ask, but we need a helicopter to reach Kaine Island before Marakov does. Plus, not everyone can reach the vault. Not to sound egotistical, but I'm the only one who can get to the top."

"I understand. Get together your crew and meet me back here. We'll have a helicopter ready for you."

"Thank you Chief," Carmelita said.

-

The helicopter ride didn't take as long as Sly had thought it would. It was only a few hours before Kaine Island came into view.

"We're almost there," Sly said, looking towards the island. It had been a long time since he had last seen it. All of Dr. M's machinery was completely destroyed due to the Inner Sanctum collapsing. He signaled to the pilot. "We're going to have to hover directly above that ledge where the vault is and climb down by ladder." He pointed out towards the top of the island.

"Right," the pilot responded.

As the helicopter became closer, Sly noticed something odd.

"The vault door is open..."

"What?" Bentley asked. He looked towards the island to see that Sly was right.

"Looks like we were beaten here," Penelope said.

"Why would they leave the door open though? That seems really stupid," Murray said. Sly shrugged his shoulders.

"I think he wants us to follow him," Carmelita said.

"You think?" Sly said.

"Yeah. Think about it. If I was Marakov and I didn't want anyone following, I'd close the door. He has the cane, which is the only way to open the door."

"Yeah, good point."

As soon as the helicopter was directly above the ledge, Sly lowered the ladder.

"Okay everyone, let's go." They all climbed down the ladder to the ledge. Once everyone was gathered around, they headed into the vault, and onto the elevator. The elevator didn't move.

"Hey! What's wrong with this thing?" Murray shouted. Bentley looked around and found a power box. He opened it up.

"Looks like Marakov shorted out the circuits. Just give me a minute." Sly watched as Bentley worked his magic. After a few minutes, the elevator started moving. Sly smiled.

"I see you haven't lost your touch pal." Bentley smiled at the compliment.

Sly looked around as the elevator lowered further into the Cooper Vault. Aside from a few cracks on the walls and some debris on the floor, it looked the same as it did the last time he saw it. It was a large circular room, with statues resembling the Cooper logo going around the center floor. The door that led further into the vault was left open. In front of it, there was a makeshift bridge that led from the platform they were standing on up to the door. Sly looked at the bridge in confusion.

"He does want us to follow him," he said. The others looked at him. "First, he leaves the door to the vault open. Now, he leaves the bridge leading up to the door for us to use? I would have been able to get through fine, but it seems like he wants all of us to follow him."

"He must think he has something up his sleeve," Carmelita noted. Sly nodded in agreement.

"Still, I think its best that we stay on our toes," Bentley said. "Who knows what he could be planning?"

"Right," Sly said. They walked up to the makeshift bridge. Sly slowly walked across it first to make sure it was stable enough for the others to cross. It was a little shaky, but it should be fine. "Okay. The bridge is a little unstable, but it should be fine as long as we all go one at a time." Everyone nodded. After a few minutes of careful walking, everyone was standing before the door into the first section of the Cooper Vault. They walked through the threshold.

This was where Slytankhamen II's section of the vault was, before Bentley and Penelope re-located everything. Aside from a few gold coins laying on the ground, there was nothing left. You could just faintly see where the painting of Slytankhamen used to be. Sly walked past the section and looked out into the large obstacle course that was built throughout the vault. He shook his head.

"I don't get it," he said. "There's no way they would be able to get through this. Where are they?" There was no sign that Marakov had gone on.

"I don't know," Carmelita said. "Maybe they're back in the other room?"

"I don't think so," Bentley said. "I didn't see anywhere where they could have hid. What do you think Penelope?" Penelope wasn't listening. She was staring at the wall of the Cooper vault.

"Hmm, there's something about this wall." She brought her hand up to the wall and felt it. It felt strange. Almost like it was painted. It wasn't how a cave wall made of rock should feel like. She knocked on the wall, and was surprised to find that it was hollow. "Bentley! This wall is fake!"

"What?"

Bentley wheeled over to Penelope and inspected the wall. He knocked on it and found that Penelope was right. The wall wasn't made of rock. It was made of some other type of material, but he couldn't figure out what.

"Everyone stand back!" He pressed a button on his wheelchair. An arm came out, and it was carrying a strange looking round device. He quickly wheeled back and pressed another button on his chair. The device exploded. When the dust cleared away, they found a large hole in the wall that led into another room.

"Holy... this has to have been what Marakov was talking about!" Sly said excitedly. He quickly ran inside. As soon as he was in, he stopped short. His jaw dropped. He couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"What in the hell...?"

He was inside a hallway. All around him there were very familiar paintings. Paintings of Clockwerk.

"Clockwerk?" Carmelita asked. "What is this?"

"No, it can't be!" Sly remembered what Marakov had told Carmelita. _"Many years ago, when the first Cooper thief was still running around, he was betrayed by his partner in crime."_ Could it be that Slytankhamen's partner was Clockwerk?

Bentley's jaw was wide open. Murray was frozen with shock. Penelope, however, studied the paintings.

"These seem to be thousands of years old," she said.

"No... How? Slytankhamen's partner was Clockwerk?" Sly couldn't believe it. Carmelita put her hand on Sly's shoulder to comfort him.

"I'm sorry Sly, but it really looks that way."

After everyone had gotten over the shock, they continued through the hallway. It led to a large room that was almost empty, save for all of the paintings of Clockwerk. Along with that, there was a pedestal in the middle of the room.

"What's that?" Murray asked as he pointed towards the pedestal. Sly walked up to it and found a stack of papyrus.

"Be careful with that Sly," Bentley warned. "That stuff is fragile."

"Right."

He looked at the ancient paper to see that there was a message written on it.

_"This is it. My last night as a mortal man, and Slytankhamen's last peaceful sleep. He was nothing but an egotistical fool. He hogged all the glory to himself. He never gave me any recognition. I may as well have never existed. I am not his partner, I am his sidekick. As of tonight, he is no longer my friend. He is my enemy. He thinks that no one can catch him, nothing can harm him. He shall realize the painful truth the hard way._

_I plan to live a very long life, and Slytankhamen hopes to start a long lasting family line of thieves. Fine. Let him. More fun for me in the years to come. I'm sure this "Cooper Clan" as he calls it will entertain me for quite a while. Already, he has been training his son on the ways of a thief. He has shown him that stupid invisibility trick in his book. I'm sure he will grow up to be a great thief, and I will make sure that he will die at the claws of an even better thief._

_Why do I write this? If you are reading this, you most likely know why, as I have probably told you. I am probably destroyed at this point, and you have decided to take on what I was after; to become the greatest thief the world has ever known. We have met before, you know my goals, and you know what this message contains._

_I will fuse my mortal body with pure metal, to ensure that I will live a very long life. The following pages are very detailed instructions on how to do that. Hopefully you will carry on my dreams and do the very same thing I plan to do. In exchange for this, I will ask you for one favor. If the Cooper line is not completely eradicated, I am trusting you to finish the remaining Cooper off, whoever that may be._

_Good luck, my friend._

_Clockwerk"_

"Oh my god..." Sly finally knew what Marakov is after. He wanted to go the ways of Clockwerk. He wanted to become immortal and become the world's greatest thief. He couldn't let him get a hold of these papers.

"Does this mean that Marakov knew Clockwerk personally?" Carmelita asked.

"That's exactly right."

The Cooper Gang all turned around to the entrance. Looking directly at them was Marakov and around a dozen of his thugs. All of them were carrying weapons, pointed directly at the Cooper Gang.

------------

_Wow, that was a pretty long chapter. And a hell of a lot of stuff happened._

_Well, there's not much else to say, other than apologize, yet again for how late it was. But, from here on out it's smooth sailing. I know exactly how the next two chapters are going to be._

_EDIT: By the way, I think I've gotten back into having a lot of fun with writing this. I'm actually excited for writing the next chapter._

_Until next chapter folks!_

_-eaglefan101_

Well now, things are certainly picking up, that leaves us with a new question, "How will Sly and the gang get out of this one?" Well, I hope you're as anxious as I am to learn the answer. As always people, read and review!

Ultima, out.


	6. Chapter 6: Secret of the Coopers

Almost a month late, and extremely short, but here it is. Chapter 6. Hope you guys like it!

------------

Chapter 6: Secret of the Coopers

The guard looked out into the night. He had to stay completely alert. He couldn't risk not noticing anything out of the ordinary, or it could be his head. The guard stole a quick glance at the palace, to see if he was watching him. Luckily, he wasn't.

"He must be busy," thought the guard. He yawned loudly and sat down. If only if he had some time to sleep. However, that was not an option. He had been assigned the night shift, which was the most dangerous shift, considering the recent burglaries and robberies that had been happening. He looked around, waiting for anything to happen. But, nothing did.

A few hours had passed, and the guard began to grow bored. He paced around, trying to stay awake. Suddenly, he heard a strange sound. He stopped abruptly and looked around. Nothing. He could have sworn that he heard some footsteps that were not his own. He shrugged it off and continued his pacing. Almost right after he took his first step, he felt a great pain in the side of his face. He staggered, trying to steady his spear. When he regained his balance, he furiously looked around, trying to find the source. He felt the pain again. It was as if someone was smacking him with some type of weapon, but there was no one there.

"What's going on!" he shouted. "Who's there?!" He took another blow to the head and fell down, unconscious. After a few moments, a raccoon suddenly appeared next to the body. He bent down and felt his pulse.

"Good," the raccoon muttered to himself. "Still alive." He stood back up and looked at the palace. It was huge. It was going to be a tough job. He looked up to see a dark figure flying through the sky. The figure flew down on the ground and landed silently next to the raccoon.

"What did you see?" the raccoon asked. The figure shook his head.

"Well, there aren't very many guards along the outside of the palace, but that's probably because they're all inside. Are you sure you want to go through with this?"

"I am sure." The figure nodded. "Follow me, silently."

The two ran closer to the front of the palace. They ducked down and looked at the entrance. There were two guards on either side of the door.

"Hmm, wait here for a second," the raccoon said. He suddenly disappeared. As the invisible raccoon walked closer to the entrance, the other figure stayed behind. He watched as the two guards went down at the same time. They didn't move. The raccoon suddenly appeared a few feet away from them. He walked up to each guard, picking up both of his canes. He beckoned the other figure closer.

"This is almost too easy," the raccoon said.

"Don't get cocky Slytankhamen," the other figure said. As he stepped into the light, his features became more noticeable. He was a large brown owl, with red eyes. Slytankhamen smirked at the owl.

"You worry too much, my friend." They both ran through the entrance and ducked behind a pillar. Slytankhamen peeked out to take a look at the room they were in. It was filled with treasures. Urns, vases, statues, and many other valuables were all placed carefully on top of small pillars. Slytankhamen smiled.

"Looks like we have a lot of work to do here," he whispered. He looked around some more and spotted two guards on the second floor, patrolling. "Strange, there doesn't seem to be that many guards."

"Maybe the pharaoh thinks he's safer than he really is," Clockwerk said. He chuckled. Slytankhamen quickly put his finger up to his lips.

"Shh! We must be completely silent." Clockwerk shot a look at Slytankhamen.

"No need to get edgy," he whispered. Slytankhamen continued to look into the room, trying to find a way up to the second floor so he could take out the guards. If they weren't taken care of, they would surely be spotted before they even reached the pharaoh's room. There didn't seem to be a staircase, or any other way to climb up. There was probably another way in one of the other rooms.

"I need you to take care of those guards. I can't get up there to do it myself."

"Whatever you say." Clockwerk looked up at the guards. They seemed to be talking to each other, too distracted to see what was going on. He slowly and quietly walked along the edge of the room and waited for the right moment. The turned their backs on the room for a brief moment.

"Now," Clockwerk thought. He silently ran out into the middle of the room, spread his wings, and jumped into the air. Unfortunately, he made just enough noise to alert the two guards.

"Who goes there?!" One of them shouted, wielding his spear. Clockwerk quickly flew up onto the second floor and smacked the first guard with his wing. He went down, unconscious. Just as the first guard fell, the second swiped his spear at Clockwerk. He jumped back just in time and smacked him with his wing. He went down, just as the second guard did. He looked down onto the first floor, where Slytankhamen was standing. He jumped down onto the first floor.

"Could you have been any louder?" Slytankhamen said. Clockwerk frowned.

"Okay. Next time, you can jump up to the second story and take out the guards."

"Come on," Slytankhamen said.

It took nearly a half hour to reach the pharaoh's room.

"There it is!" Slytankhamen said. He pointed towards a large ruby, sitting on a pedestal on the left side of the room. He and Clockwerk walked up to take the gem.

"Nice try Slytankhamen," came a voice from behind. The two thieves turned around and came face to face with...

"The pharaoh!" Slytankhamen shouted. Clockwerk quickly jumped up in the air and came crashing down onto the pharaoh. "Clockwerk! What the...?!" Clockwerk ignored the protests coming from Slytankhamen. He looked into the pharaoh's eyes as he squeezed his talons harder around his neck. The pharaoh's eyes rolled up into his head. His face turned blue. Suddenly, a snap was heard.

Slytankhamen's jaw was wide open. After he got over the shock of what had happened, he turned to Clockwerk.

"What in the world were you thinking?! Why did you kill him?!" Clockwerk said nothing. He continued to stare down at the motionless body. "What is wrong with you?!"

"He had it coming."

"Had it coming?! Are you insane?!" Clockwerk stared angrily at his partner.

"We would not have gotten out of here with him still alive and you know it."

"How can you say that?! I'm Slytankhamen! I can get out of anything!" Clockwerk said nothing. Slytankhamen walked up to the ruby, snatched it, and headed for the exit. "Meet back at the hideout in an hour, got it?" Clockwerk nodded, seething. He continued to stare at the dead body as Slytankhamen walked out.

-

Slytankhamen ran through the desert, heading for his next target. It had been a few weeks since his spat with Clockwerk, and he hadn't seen him since. He figured that he needed some time to cool off. As he ran, a large building came into view.

"There it is," Slytankhamen muttered to himself. Suddenly, he heard a strange sound. It almost sounded like a distant flapping. He looked up into the sky and saw a large owl-like figure.

"So, he decided to come back huh?" Slytankhamen smiled. He hated to admit it, but he had missed Clockwerk in the few weeks that he was gone. The large figure in the sky suddenly dived down. As he got closer, Slytankhamen's smile slowly turned into a confused frown. Clockwerk landed right in front of him. His entire body was coated in metal. His eyes were a piercing yellow. He had hatred in his eyes.

"Hello Slytankhamen," he said.

"Clockwerk! Wh...What have you done to yourself?" Clockwerk smiled.

"Like it?" Suddenly, he raised his wing and brought it down onto Slytankhamen, hard. He fell down with a grunt.

"Ugh... what are you doing?" Slytankhamen said. He slowly stood back up. He stared at Clockwerk with a confused look.

"Isn't it obvious?" Clockwerk jumped into the air and tried to grab Slytankhamen. However, Slytankhamen was too quick. He quickly jumped backwards with a graceful back flip. He was breathing heavy. What was Clockwerk thinking? As soon as Clockwerk landed, he ran towards Slytankhamen, who sprinted away from him. Clockwerk was able to catch up with him. He jumped into the air and grabbed Slytankhamen's body with his talons. He pinned him down to the ground.

"Clockwerk... why are you doing this?" Slytankhamen asked.

"You really don't know do you?" Clockwerk paused for a second. "Was I really your partner? Was I really your equal?"

"Of course you...agh!" he was cut off by a sharp pain in his chest. Clockwerk squeezed harder.

"I do not tolerate lies. I was always second best to you wasn't I?" Slytankhamen said nothing. He was to busy trying to push Clockwerk's talons off of him. "No more. From now on, I will be the world's greatest thief. Not you."

"Clockwerk...please...my friend..."

"I am not your friend." Clockwerk squeezed even harder. The sound of bones breaking could just barely be heard over the screams of a dying man. Clockwerk squeezed harder. He started to see blood dribble down his talons and into the sand. Suddenly, he lifted his talons off of Slytankhamen, who was breathing heavily. He stared down at his former friend. Finally, he brought his talons onto the raccoon's neck.

"Goodbye, Slytankhamen."

-----------

Wow, that chapter was shorter than I expected. I'm not sure if I like how it came out to be honest. 

Yeah yeah, it was late again. Almost a month this time. Don't be too angry at me.

Next chapter will come soon.... hopefully.

Until next chapter folks!

-eaglefan101

Heh, now it looks like we get to see a little insight into what happened when Clockwerk betrayed Slytankhamen. Looks like we see how Slytankhamen died. Not much else to say. Please read and review people!

-Ultima, out-


	7. ATTENTION READERS!

Hey everybody. Well, I'm going to cut the buttering up and get right to the point. I'm not going to sugarcoat this people; I have almost completely lost interest in this fanfic. Why? I'm really not sure. I just stopped writing it one week and never got back into writing it. Every time I tried, I would write a few sentences, stall, and give up. Call it writer's block, call it being a lazy ass, whatever you call it, I'm going to call it a lost of interest.

To be totally honest, the entire story, both Confession and Secret of the Coopers, was almost always made up on the spot. I never wrote down ideas, I never brainstormed. I just wrote, and went with the flow. I mean, I had a basic idea at first. It was originally just going to be Sly getting captured, then saved and that was that. There was no other plot that I had in mind and the whole idea with there being a secret within the Cooper Vault that had not even crossed my mind until about the 4th chapter. That is why I wrote the two stories separately rather than in one whole fic. Once I had the idea of the secret in the vault, I kinda just went from there.

But, I have hit a gap, and a big one two. I have no idea what happens at the end. Seriously, I never really had a solid idea for the ending. I do have ideas of how some things are cleared up, including why Marakov knows about the secret to the vault. I also had an idea that I was going to implement that involved Carson and Marakov. If you'll remember from the fic Confession, Caron comments that they will be rich. Did he know about Marakov's intentions? I had a few minor ideas for the ending, but I either didn't like them or they just led me to another stopping point. One of those ideas is the whole gang getting caught, then somehow escaping. One of them was them just fighting their way out. I had no solid idea, and I never gave it anymore thought after I lost interest.

I'm just rambling now. Basically what I'm trying to say is this. Sorry. I told myself that I was going to update regularly, at least twice a week. I didn't. I told myself that I would kick myself in the ass and start getting chapters in on time. I didn't. And, above all else, I told myself that I would never abandon an unfinished fic. Well, to be honest, I don't know if I'd call it abandoning it. I really do want to finish this, if only to give it some closure, but that will not be for a while. Why? You're probably going to hate me for telling you this, but here it goes. I'm working on a brand new fic. No, it's not Sly Cooper related. I'm sure that there are plenty of you out there who hate authors that stop writing a fanfic because they started another, but I hate to say that's exactly what I'm doing. Why? Because, as I said, I have lost interest in this current one, and have moved onto another one. One that I am actually very interested in.

If you would like to read it, it's an Animaniacs fanfic titled "Despised." Like my previous fics, it ain't exactly the happiest piece of literature out there, but for some reason I love writing stories that aren't the happiest of tales. I like a bit of sadness or hurt in my stories. Who knows why. Maybe I'm pessimistic. In any case, go read my new Animaniacs fanfic; "Despised." Some may like it, some may not. Hopefully the former. Read and review!

Remember; Secret of the Coopers is NOT abandoned. I will most likely return to it someday, but for now, I'd like to focus on my new fic.

Until… whenever folks!

-eaglefan101


End file.
